The War on Drugs

The War on Drugs, Palma Violets, Ella Eyre and many more added to T in the Park 2015 lineup

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Some of the most talked about buzz bands at this month’s SXSW festival are amongst a wave of new acts added to the T in the Park bill today, festival organisers DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent’s Lager are delighted to announce. The following acts have today joined the T in the Park bill and are set to play Strathallan Castle over Friday 10th – Sunday 12th July:
 
FRIDAY 10TH JULY LINE-UP ADDITIONS
The War on Drugs, SIGMA, The Cribs, Hannah Wants, The Twilight Sad, Prides, Lucy Rose, Slaves, Lower Than Atlantis, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, Lonely The Brave, Indiana, Coasts, Blossoms, The Beaches, The Riptide Movement, Fort Hope
 
SATURDAY 11TH JULY LINE-UP ADDITIONS
Marina & The Diamonds, Palma Violets, Circa Waves, The Strypes, The LaFontaines, Sunset Sons, George The Poet, Walking on Cars, The Coronas, Gavin James, Vaults
SLAM TENT: Maceo Plex (headline set), Annie Mac (joins the Slam Tent bill in addition to her Main Stage Friday set)
 
SUNDAY 12TH JULY LINE-UP ADDITIONS
Ella Eyre, Wolf Alice, Benjamin Booker, Young Guns, Black Rivers
SLAM TENT: Claude VonStroke
 
Philadelphia’s The War on Drugs’ signature layered, dense sound has won the band a mass of fans around the globe. They reached the number two spot in the UK Independent chart with 2014’sLost In The Dream, which was hailed Album of the Year by Uncut and Q. The band continue to reap recognition internationally, and fresh from an epic performance at SXSW, they are a hugely exciting addition to this year’s T in the Park line-up.
 
International chart toppers SIGMA’s early releases quickly marked them out as producers to watch, while remixes for Eric Prydz, Ellie Goulding, Stylo G and Sway began to take them to a wider audience. Their first number one single, Nobody To Love was followed up by another chart topper when their second single, Changing ft. Paloma Faith was released, and they’re sure to bring a party vibe to Strathallan Castle.
 
Marina & the Diamonds aka Marina Diamandis creates irresistible electro indie pop, and will make her long-awaited T in the Park debut this summer. The Welsh singer-songwriter has released her latest album Froot this month and is sure to showcase new material in her T in the Park set.
 
Since forming in 2002, The Cribs have won major plaudits including NME’s prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Music Award in 2013. The band return this month with a brand new album For All My Sisters, heralding an exciting new chapter in the upwards trajectory of the Jarman brothers. BigT in the Park favourites, they’re sure to go down a storm at Strathallan Castle.
 
Hailed “the undisputed queen of 2014” by Mixmag, Hannah Wants has validated herself as a world renowned DJ with some serious credentials. Last year alone she picked up the Best Breakthrough DJ title at the DJ Mag awards and became Mixmag’s Best Breakthrough DJ and Star Of The Year, and her set is not to be missed.
 
Scottish trio The Twilight Sad’s desolate, majestic and dense sound has earned them major plaudits since they formed in 2003. Their fourth studio album Nobody Wants To Be Here And Nobody Wants To Leave (released in October) was named Scottish Album of the Year by The Scotsman and Album of the Year by Drowned in Sound.
 
Another exciting band hot off the back of shows at SXSW, Palma Violets have been working with producer John Leckie (Radiohead, Stone Roses) on their new album Danger in the Club, due for release this May. The band recently went on the road for the NME Awards Tour and will bring their euphoric sound to T in the Park this summer.  
 
In what’s sure to be a huge moment for band and fans alike, Prides will make T in the Parkhistory when they become the first band to play the Main Stage at the festival's new home, Strathallan Castle. Since they last appeared at Balado in 2013, they have played to a global audience at The Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony. Producing original synth-pop tracks with infectious lyrics and feel-good melodies, the Glasgow trio are sure to receive a local heroes’ when they open the Main Stage on the Friday. 
 
Slaves aka Laurie Vincent and Isaac Holman opened the NME Awards Tour’s 20th anniversary shows earlier this year. They count Arctic Monkeys amongst their many fans, and are set to make a hotly anticipated return to T in the Park after their incredible headline set on the BBC Introducing Stage last year.
 
Liverpudlian quartet Circa Waves are another band who dazzled crowds in Austin and who are hotly-tipped for a successful year. After making a big impression at last year’s T in the Park, Circa Waves have played sold-out shows around the country and are sure to delight fans with their energetic indie pop tracks at T in the Park in July.
 
Since forming in 2007, Lower Than Atlantis’ sound has evolved from hardcore punk to melodic indie rock. Their self-titled fourth record was released in October last year and was hailed album of the year by Rocksound.
 
Siblings Kitty, Daisy and Lewis’ musical references and skills are rooted in the old tradition where songs and music are handed down, played and enjoyed at gatherings of family and friends. They’ve built an impressive fan base and will showcase tunes from their exquisite second studio albumSmoking In Heaven.
 
Creating infectious rhythm and blues infused rock 'n' roll, Ireland’s The Strypes have in the past toured with the likes of Arctic Monkeys and are sure to get the T in the Park crowd rocking when they return to the festival this July.
 
Cambridge quintet Lonely The Brave are one of the most exciting live acts on the UK rock scene at the moment, with David Jakes’ goose-bump-inducing vocals as striking live as they are on record. They released their debut album The Day’s War to massive critical acclaim and a place at no. 14 in the UK album charts this past September.
Nottingham singer-songwriter Indiana released her critically acclaimed debut album No Romeo in February of this year. Featuring the hit single Solo Dancing, the record is a collection of moody electro pop gems.
 
Original party band, The LaFontaines had a belter of a year in 2014. Playing their first US headline shows, conquering Europe with Watsky and performing to a capacity crowd at T in the Park as well as headlining their biggest ever show at Glasgow’s O2 ABC. 2015 is the year they release their highly anticipated debut album ‘Class’ – produced by Matt O’Grady (You Me At Six, Don Broco, Deaf Havana), with an accompanying UK headline tour.  
 
Bristol’s Coasts are creating a huge buzz around the UK and beyond. Recently on tour in America, their performance at this year’s T in the Park is sure to treat the crowd to a soaring performance full of indie rock tunes. Tracks including recent single Oceans have received support from the likes of Radio 1 alumni Zane Lowe and has resulted in festival slots at the likes of Coachella and Lollapalooza.
 
Also fresh from SXSW, Blossoms are one of Stockport’s finest musical exports. They combine psyche-pop riffs, vocal melodies, a film noir meets 60s aesthetic, a range of audible references from Arctic Monkeys via Abba to The Doors to incredible effect and are sure to be a big hit at T in the Park this July.
 
The start of 2014 saw Sunset Sons morph from surfers making music for fun into a band at the centre of an A&R scrum into a major label-signed, red hot tip to become arena-sized stars. Their irresistible sun-soaked pop rock anthems earned them a spot on the BBC’s Sound of 2015 longlist.
 
Bold, edgy, with an incredible vocal to boot, Ella Eyre’s buzz has grown exponentially. A casual songwriting session with Rudimental evolved into Ella writing two songs for their debut album, and she can be heard on the band’s Waiting All Night. Also featuring on DJ Fresh’s top 5 smash Gravity, she won the MOBO Award for Best Newcomer last year and releases her first studio album Feline in May.
 
The Beaches – named after the area of Toronto where they live – are proud pioneers of the new wave of fem-rock. Their sassy, saw-toothed alt-rock songs recall The Strokes, Elastica, The White Stripes, Metric and The Runaways, and they exude the kind of romantic defiance, youth rebellion and peer solidarity that makes them a formidable force for rock.
 
George the Poet blends poetry and rap to hypnotic effect. Having amassed more than half a million views for his poems on YouTube and Vimeo, he has brought poetry to a new generation, mixing social and political comment with humour, and featured at no.5 in the BBC’s Sound of 2015.
 
Fresh from a rapturous appearance at SXSW, Wolf Alice will release their debut album My Love Is Cool in June and will bring some of their rock-tinged new material to T in the Park the following month. The grungy London four-piece create a relentless sound fused with superfuzzed guitars and were named Breakthrough Act of the Year at the UK Festival Awards in December.
 
Walking on Cars are one of Ireland’s most exciting new acts. Signed to Virgin EMI Records, they’ve been taking their soaring rock anthems to an international audience including a packed show at SXSW earlier this month and will make their first appearance at T in the Park this July.
 
Songstress Lucy Rose, The Riptide Movement (who supported the Rolling Stones at their Hyde Park show in 2013), Fort Hope who combine earth shattering riffs with soaring melodies, Dublin’s boisterous rock outfit The Coronas, soulful New Orleans singer-songwriter Benjamin Booker, English rockers Young Guns, Ireland’s Choice Music Prize Award Winner for ‘Song Of The Year’Gavin James and London trio Vaults (who made a big impression when they supported Paolo Nutini on tour at the end of last year) also join the bill. As two-thirds of Manchester’s Doves, the Williams brothers Jez and Andy achieved major success with four hit albums, before forming their new band Black Rivers. They recently supported T in the Park headliners Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds on their UK tour, and will make their Strathallan Castle debut this July.
 
T in the Park and Slam are also delighted to confirm that Annie Mac, Claude VonStroke andMaceo Plex will play the Slam Tent this July. Annie Mac – who has recently taken over from the legendary Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1 and who also plays a Main Stage set on Friday – has joined the bill for the Slam Tent on Saturday. Maceo Plex first gained popularity during the early 90s rave culture with his mixes of techno, electro, and house music, before incorporating a more funk and groove-based sound. He’s played some of the most prestigious clubs in the world such as Cocoon and Fabric, and headlines the Slam Tent at T in the Park on the Saturday night. San Francisco-based house and techno producer Claude VonStroke is another exciting addition to the Slam Tent line-up.
With some of the biggest names in music heading for Scotland this summer, T in the Park’s debut outing at Strathallan Castle is already shaping up to be an unmissable weekend:
 
FRIDAY 10th JULY: Kasabian, David Guetta, Sam Smith, Rudimental, Fatboy Slim, Hozier, Mark Ronson (DJ set), The War on Drugs, Annie Mac, Hot Chip, The Wombats, Gorgon City, Duke Dumont, SIGMA, Jessie Ware, Fuse ODG, The Cribs, Hannah Wants, The Twilight Sad, Prides, Lucy Rose, Slaves, Lower than Atlantis, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, Lonely the Brave, Indiana, Coasts, Blossoms, The Beaches, Fort Hope, The Riptide Movement
SLAM TENT: Adam Beyer B2B Joseph Capriati, Âme, Ben Klock, Eats Everything, Slam, Telford
 
SATURDAY 11th JULY: Avicii, The Libertines, The Script, Twin Atlantic, alt-J, George Ezra, Jessie J, Courteeners, The Vaccines, Labrinth, The Proclaimers, St. Vincent, Enter Shikari, Seasick Steve, Jungle, Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott, Marina & the Diamonds, Idlewild, Jess Glynne, Charli XCX, Palma Violets, Circa Waves, Jack Savoretti, The Strypes, Rae Morris, The LaFontaines, Sunset Sons, George the Poet, Walking on Cars, The Coronas, Gavin James, Vaults
SLAM TENT: Annie Mac, Art Department, Gary Beck, Jackmaster B2B Joy Orbison, Lil Louis, Rødhåd, Visionquest, Maceo Plex
 
SUNDAY 12th JULY: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Prodigy, Stereophonics, Jamie T, Paloma Faith, Above & Beyond, Alabama Shakes, Kodaline, Catfish & the Bottlemen, James Bay, Clean Bandit, Oliver Heldens, Ella Henderson, The View, Modest Mouse, Years & Years, Peace, Everything Everything, Admiral Fallow, Ella Eyre, Marmozets, Wolf Alice, Benjamin Booker, Saint Raymond, Young Guns, Black Rivers
SLAM TENT: Alan Fitzpatrick, Dense & Pika, Dixon, Dubfire, Loco Dice, Maya Jane Coles, Claude VonStroke

Headliners announced for End of the Road Festival 2015

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Playing his first ever UK festival, Sufjan Stevens will perform on the Woods Stage on Saturday night, following Australia’s psychedelic victors Tame Impala on Friday. Sunday night will see the critics’ album of 2014 holders The War On Drugs play their only summer festival in the UK this year. 
 
Future Islands will be bringing their dance moves and infectious grooves to the intimate settings of Larmer Tree Gardens, while Mercury nominated Scottish four piece Django Django will be ready to play tracks from their hugely anticipated second album due this Spring. 
 
Making their way from Perth, Pond will be bringing the psychedelic freak-outs, Toronto five-piece Alvvays bring the fuzz pop, while Ty Segall brings his band Fuzz. Spacebomb Records newcomer, and everyone’s favourite one to watch for this year, Natalie Prass has got the triumphant soul thing covered whilst controversial post-punk crusaders Sleaford Mods and South London’s Fat White Family bring the anarchy. 
 
Following the announcement of Carrie & Lowell, his first album in four years, Sufjan Stevens will headline the three-day festival making End of the Road his first ever UK festival performance. Furthermore, this will be Stevens’ only UK festival date this year and his second ever festival appearance anywhere in the world.
 
End Of The Road Festival 2015 Line Up
 
Sufjan Stevens
Tame Impala 
The War on Drugs
Future Islands
Django Django
Pond
Alvvays
Fuzz
The Unthanks
Fat White Family
Sleaford Mods
Ought
King Khan & The BBQ Show
Jessica Pratt
Natalie Prass
Torres
BC Camplight
Fumaça Preta
Sam Amidon
Happyness
Hinds 
Jane Weaver
Juan Wauters
Lisa O'Neill
Ultimate Painting
The Drink
The Black Tambourines
Charlie Cunningham

Green Man Festival 2014 Review

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The valleys are alive… with the sound of music.

Thousands of like-minded music lovers made camp at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain this weekend to enjoy another inspiring Green Man Festival.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the greatest festival in the UK has to be Green Man. With beautiful music in equally beautiful surroundings, the atmosphere here is unlike any other.

Last year, my partner and I brought our 7-month-old to what would be our first festival as a family and our first Green Man. Initially worried about what to expect we soon became enchanted with its approach to live music, ethical values and it’s family friendly nature – we vowed to become regulars.

Unfortunately for us we would be begin our weekend on Friday which meant having to miss Thursday’s headliners, The Waterboys but from what I was told, the classic hits from their 80s album Fisherman’s Blues was the perfect end to the first night.

It must’ve been a good one because by the time we had rocked up, pitched the tent and headed into the festival for a pint we discovered the signature Growler Ale was already on the decline, not to worry though as the on-site beer and cider festival meant there was plenty on offer for ale and cider aficionados alike.

With the ground now nicely dried from the previous days down pour and with the sun blazing above the Black Mountains we settled ourselves in front of the Mountain Stage with a couple of cold ones.

The Augustines were just about to begin and the New York three-piece were the perfect way to kick start our weekend. Their crashing sound shook us out of the slump we were feeling after the journey down and when frontman Billy McCarthy announced it was his birthday the whole crowd erupted in an impromptu rendition of Happy Birthday. That Green Man spirit and friendliness reminded me how happy I was to be there.

Photo courtesy of Green Man Festival

Our toddler had danced himself silly so we thought we’d take a walk to settle him to sleep before heading back to the Mountain Stage for Daughter and headliners, Beirut.

As a parent, other people’s judgment is a constant and irrational worry. In normal life, seeing a baby up after 9pm might invite all manner of tuts and side glances, the beauty of Green Man though is that the experience is as much for children as it is for adults. Wagons padded out and adorned with fairy lights are the transport of choice for tired little legs and are more abundant than drunk teenagers, thankfully. Hiring one of these won’t break the bank either and it ensures headliners don’t have to be missed. Everyone’s happy.

The effort to maintain the ground management to ensure it’s accessibility for wheelchair users, pram pushers and wagon pullers alike is also of noteworthy importance. The whole arena is relatively flat and is a pleasure to walk around, and as night falls, the trees light up and the place is framed with fairy lights, it truly is a magical place.

Back at the Mountain Stage, Daughter provided a stunning set playing tracks from their debut album If You Leave and EP, The Wild Youth. The ethereal voice of Elena Tonra was an early highlight. Perhaps one of the most anticipated acts of the weekend, they certainty didn’t disappoint. Hearing the hauntingly beautiful, Still come to life was earth moving and you couldn’t help but get drawn in by the raw emotion of it all.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Harris

Nicely mellowed out, we struggled to fight back the desire to head back to the tent, we knew we’d made the right decision however when Beirut burst on stage.

The rapturous trumpets blew out the need to sleep and the hit filled set soon had us all on our feet. Frontman Zach Condon seemed genuinely thrilled to be given the top spot and they were clearly the perfect choice to end Friday’s festivities.

Photo courtesy of Alex Elms

Unzipping our tent the following morning and watching the mist rise over the Black Mountains was something special indeed, and as the clouds parted across the valley all that was left were blue skies.

After breakfast we headed over to the Little Folk Enclosure to catch The Flying Seagulls. We saw this merry band of performers last year and were fascinated by their mix of energy and madness, perhaps more so than some of the kids!

Our toddler eventually pulled his parents away from the Seagulls and took us over to I See Magical Creatures, a whimsical band of characters who encourage creativity and participation through arts and crafts. We stayed and painted a rhinoceros and then as you are encouraged to do, we hid him near a tree for someone to find. This was an adorable activity that allowed our imaginations to run free and kept our boy enthralled for a good while.

After wandering though Einstein’s Garden and chatting to some very clever and creative minds there, we decided to head over to the Far Out tent to catch reformed Swansea band, The Pooh Sticks. Their inoffensive indie had us bopping along and we hung out after to catch up-and-coming purveyors of modernist pop, Woman’s Hour.

After bumping into friends and family with their children we pitched up near the helter skelter for a bite to eat and planned our next musical move.

We hung around the Far Out tent long enough to catch Fat White Family, eager to see what all the fuss was about with these young lads.

After reading about the madness from some of their earlier gigs I was keen to see what extrovert frontman Lias Saoudi would bring. Shirtless and repeatedly off stage and in amongst it, the punk-ish behavior somehow wasn’t enough to distract from how musically brilliant these guys are. Yes, they’re over the top but that’s what makes them so addictive – it was certainly up there with one of the best performances of the weekend.

We decided to forego I Break Horses in favor of a pit stop back at the tent before heading back down to the Mountain Stage for the evening.

We caught the tail end of The War On Drugs, and as we approached I couldn’t help but notice how packed the crowd was. Lead singer Adam Granduciel belted out songs from new album Lost in the Dream and had everyone warmed up for Mercury Rev.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Harris

Playing their classic album, Deserters Song’s in its entirety, headliners Mercury Rev were phenomenal. Considered one of the highest rated albums of the year when it was released in 1998, it truly was a joy to hear live.

Sunday started much the same as Saturday. We spent far too much time singing along with the Flying Seagulls but managed to pull ourselves away when we heard the band begin for No Fit State Circus who were on site showcasing some of their amazing skills and acrobatics.

Having seen the company perform Bianco last year I was hoping to see a little more from No Fit State, their blend of carnival vaudeville circus techniques were fun but unfortunately I wasn’t blown away. It was worth hanging around just to listen to their band though who were stomping out all manner of Parisian infused cabaret music which really got the audience going.

Sunday was mostly a day for lounging and exploring. We wearily wandered around the Nature Nurture area, discovering the joys of bush craft and wished we’d had the foresight to book into the spa before deciding to push on through and head to the Babbling Tongues tent.

We were hoping to catch Howard Marks who was due to give a talk on Dylan Thomas to tie in with the centenary celebrations but unfortunately this was cancelled. However, we were able to chat all things Dylan Thomas with aficionado and number one fan, Jeff Towns who was on-site with his mobile bookstore, Dylan’s Book’s.

After a good chinwag we decided to head back to the tent to feed the kid and layer up for the evening.

We made our way to the Mountain Stage later that evening and settled in to catch First Aid Kit.

“Hello, we’re two Swedish sisters,” were the first words from beautiful songstresses Johanna and Klara Söderberg and I overheard someone suggest the large crowd was probably made up of men, eager to catch a glimpse of the stunning pair rather than take in the music.

Whatever your reason for being there, their beauty was matched by equally gorgeous vocals. Playing tracks from their new album Stay Gold, and peppered with earlier tracks like Wolf, their set had something for old and new fans.

Bringing the festivities to a close were folk legends, Neutral Milk Hotel who returned to the stage bringing with them a newfound vitality and spirit. After disbanding in 1998, they returned to touring last year and the reception they’ve received every since has been huge.

After having far too much fun we couldn’t bare to stay up to watch the Green Man burn, the annual flaming full-stop that marks the end of the weekend would mean it really is all over for another year.

With such an eclectic programme of acts each year it is clear to see why thousands flock here. The breathtaking backdrop is the perfect location to what is fast becoming one of the most highly anticipated festivals of the summer. Only 360 odd days until the next one!

The War On Drugs, The Waterboys and more added to Green Man Festival lineup

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The Summer Festival Guide can announce the latest additions to this years Green Man Festival lineup which includes The War On Drugs, The Waterboys and Neko Case.

Philadelphia indie rockers The War On Drugs have made arguably the record of the year with their third album, Lost In The Dream. It’s a tense and epic road trip through classic Americana that echoes the likes of Dylan, Springsteen and Arcade Fire. We can’t wait to see them headline the Far Out stage on Saturday night.

A ticket for #GreenMan14 also now gets you…

Celt-rock legends Mike Scott and The Waterboys who headline the Thursday night; Grammy-nominated alt-folk from Neko Case and psychedelic experimentalism from Panda Bear (also from Green Man 2009 headliner’s Animal Collective). 

The Black Keys, Ane Brun and more for Flow Festival 2012

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Some twenty acts, including both international and domestic names, have been added to the bill, which already includes Björk, Feist and Bon Iver. With the announcement, the remaining ticket types also go on sale at Tiketti outlets.

New international artists on the Flow Festival program include the blazing hot American rock group The Black Keys, the Norwegian singer-songwriter Ane Brun, the Philadelphia-based indie rock band The War On Drugs, two innovators of electronic music in Flying Lotus and Nicolas Jaar, contemporary rap trailblazer A$AP Rocky, indie pop up-and-comer St. Vincent, reggae legend Horace Andy and the award-winning jazz pianist from New York, Jason Moran, who will host a very special residency over two days at the stage built for Flow in co-operation with the "Wastelands" architectural assembly.

Other acts on the Valentine's Day program release are soul star Charles Bradley And His Extraordinairies, Four Tet & Cairbou, performing a unique back-to-back DJ set together, one of the highlights of the album release year 2011,Oneohtrix Point Never, dubstep innovator Pinch, the South African dance phenomenon Shangaan Electro and the ambient duo of two composers, A Winged Victory For The Sullen.

New Finnish artists confirmed for Flow are Jukka Poika, Gracias, Siinai, Verneri Pohjola Quartet, Black Twig, Bendagram and Kuusumun Profeetta.

More acts will be added to the line up during the spring.

With the new release, the remaining Flow tickets will be released on sale, namely two-day ticket combos and single day passes for Friday and Saturday.